Is there any way to cover up brassing without replating a clip or cap band? I realize there probably is no permanent solution without plating, but perhaps there is a way to replate a brassed piece (with a brushed on liquid) so that it will only have to be reapplied occasionally under light use?

There was a paint brought out a few years ago called sumfin like Liquid Metal
Never used it myself, the main market was modellers & the like, & as I recall quite expensive, & there were a whole host of metals available.
I wanted to paint mdf in copper at the time

If you have any luck let me know please

If you have silver or nickel trim that has worn, there are some rub on silver plating compounds on the market that do a nice job. Silver Smith and Silver Plater. The plating is not very thick, but it does look quite good if you're not going to use the pen much. Under moderate use, the plating will wear off, but then again, you can just rub it on again.

Is there anything like that for gold plating?

Not that I know of.

Where can silver plater or silver smith be purchased? I have not heard of these products and as a collector of travelling inkwells as well as fp's , this sounds like a good solution for restoring silver or nickel plated inkwells.. thanks

Assuming you are dealing with a item with brass or mostly brass base metal, \yYou might try polishing the clip and/or cap band, with Simichrome or similar; then, before it begins to tarnish, spray it with a coat of clear lacquer. This is how the bright finish is preserved on "polished brass" items such as light fixtures, door knobs, etc.

I had to dig to find the bottle. I don't use it much on pens, but have used it to plate copper on some RF notch filters that I build from sewer pipe. (I'm not pulling your leg. The silver is plated on the contact surfaces to lower the resistance, and improves the performance of the filter).

The company that sells it supplies restoration products to the antique industry.

E-Z Way Restoration Products. Burlington, Washington. A link to the product page is here.

thanks